“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6, King James Version)

Is that verse a promise or an observation? For over half a century now, Christian parenting books have been banking on (and banking from) it being the former. In their own book (The Myth of Good Christian Parenting), Marissa Franks Burt & Kelsey Kramer McGinnis raise the question anew, and ask us to do the same.

This was a hard conversation for me, in many respects. Not because the authors of the book were anything short of pleasant, and not because their work is anything less than well-executed, but because engaging with it caused me to look pretty deep inside & question some of my own presuppositions & unexamined feelings about the parent-child relationship.

Maybe I’ll be alone in that. Maybe not.

Below you’ll find bios for both authors, links to follow them online, and opportunities to order the book (which launches in Canada on October 14th, 2025). You can also leave a comment or reach out with any of your own thoughts. Oh, and for a video version of this convo, here’s the YouTube link.

Chapters:

00:01 - Intro

03:11 - Exploring Parenting Dynamics and Backgrounds

04:44 - The Genesis of a Collaborative Project

07:56 - The Myth of Good Christian Parenting

10:55 - Understanding Parenting Expertise and Experience

13:40 - Promises and Threats in Christian Parenting

16:39 - Methodology and Research Insights

20:04 - Key Themes in Christian Parenting Resources

23:01 - Authority and Obedience in Parenting

25:54 - Rhetorical Choices and Language in Parenting Discussions

28:21 - Authority and Parenting Dynamics

33:54 - Discipline: Rethinking Approaches

47:35 - The Role of Authority in Parenting

58:55 - Cultural Influences on Parenting Practices

Keywords:

Christian parenting, parenting promises, discipline, authority, evangelical families, parenting resources, child development, parenting methodology, parenting insights, parenting challenges, bible

Marissa Franks Burt (MA in Theological Studies, Columbia International University) is a novelist, editor, teacher, and cohost of the At Home with the Lectionary and In the Church Library podcasts. She lives in a small town in Washington’s Snoqualmie Valley with her husband, six children, and heaps of books.

Kelsey Kramer McGinnis (PhD, University of Iowa) is a musicologist, educator, and correspondent for Christianity Today, writing on worship practices and Christian subculture. She is an adjunct professor at Grand View University in Des Moines and previously worked at the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights.

The book is available for pre-order across platforms:

Find the book on Amazon

Order from Baker for guaranteed release day delivery

Bookshop book link

Audible link

* Instagram: @mburtwrites | @kelseykmcginnis

* Threads: @mburtwrites | @kelseykmcginnis

* Facebook: @mburtwrites | @kelsey.kramermcginnis

* Bluesky: @mburtwrites | @kkramermcginnis

* TikTok: @mburtwrites | @kelseykmcg

* Substack: @mburtwrites | @kelseykramermcginnis

* YouTube: @mburtwrites

* Website: Marissa |

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